The Sun Shines Best in Darkness
by Steven-Leon
Summary: "The room went silent. Most of the deities were new and didn't know of this god who addressed their king so familiarly, as a brother at that. Those who did know that god was too perplexed to say anything; it wasn't every day THE Hades came to Mt. Olympus, especially from request by Zeus."


Many mortals worshipped the Grecian gods and goddesses with fervor. Some worshipped one god, some worshipped many. They worshipped in all sorts of fashions, tailoring each style of worship to that particular deity. They threw parties, made offerings, built temples, prayed to them, told stories, visited their oracles. But the thing they did consistently was build picturesque statues showcasing the deities.

The statues were beautiful: some of marble and opal, on the rare occasion gold and silver, but they were quite accurate in nature.

All except two.

The mortals hadn't always believed Apollo to have such resemblance to the sun, with his tan skin, blond hair, blue eyes and stereotypical masculine figure. Nor did they always envision Hades to be deathly pale with hair to rival Erebus and irises like pools of blood; none of the other deities could figure out where the switch could have happened, but none bothered to fix it. Mortals weren't too important to them with all the godly affairs they had to attend to, anyways. They simply didn't care.

Well, no one cared except the two Gods in question: Apollo and Hades. They'd never met before with Hades being almost forbidden from coming to the surface world by not just mortal man but the deities as well. But that didn't mean that the two Gods weren't curious about one another and their striking juxtaposition to the character the humans always depicted them as.

Apollo, originally called Sasuke was of pale skin and strong features. A tall, lean god; not very uncommon, but shocking enough. Slim, almost always emotionless facial features to match the cold nature around him. He was calm, cool, and collected; nothing like the bouncy, hyperactive god the humans assumed he was. God of many things: music, oracles, knowledge, healing, poetry, dance, but most importantly, he was God of the Sun.

Hades, originally named Naruto was a god of tan skin, a short stature but strong build. He was of cornflower eyes and almost golden hair the Sun itself grew to be jealous of. A bright smile of dazzling warmth and a voice of warm honey, nothing like his statues. God of the Underworld and King of the Dead.

So who were these gods actually like and how come they never met? They were soon to find out.

* * *

Naruto sat on his throne of ebony glancing down at the three bodies bowing at his feet. If all three Judges of Death had shown themselves, there must be something quite spectacular going on. He sat up and cleared his throat, letting a radiant smile grace his face causing the fires burning around him to glow bright, "Please, Sakura, Tsunade, Iruka, stand. Tell me, what be the reason that you all have come to see me?"

Tsunade, the Judge who holds the keys to Hades, often referred to as _Aiakos_ by the humans of Earth, stood first. "Pardon our intrusion Lord Naruto, but it seems that the Gods of Mount Olympus are celebrating the defeat of Minato and have sent an invitation requesting your presence."

Naruto laughed good-heartedly and mumbled aloud, "Surprising my dear siblings are so adamant this year; this has got to be the third request yet. Last, I'd been aware of, no mortal nor God wished for me to leave my domain. Were you given any reason as to why they sent yet another request?"

This time Iruka, or _Minos_, Judge of the Final Decision, stood, clasping his hands together as he twiddled his thumbs. "We're not entirely sure, my Lord. Hermes simply relayed another message of a request for your appearance and nothing more."

Finally, Sakura, dubbed _Rhadamanthys_, Judge of Elysium, stood. "Perhaps it is because you were of Minato's offspring,"—she paused as she watched Naruto touch his scarred cheeks in memory— "and I assume he would find it rude not to invite you."

Naruto snorted hard, looking at the group coldly. "Like Tartarus Fugaku would invite someone like me to an Olympian celebration for the benefit of anyone but himself. They send an invite every year, but never a request and never so many. He'll probably sit and talk about how wonderful he is for saving us all, when in reality, Mother only built up the courage to save at least one of her children. Tsk, Kushina showed her true colors, no?" He took his time to sit back in his throne, mind full of thoughts; if he went, he'd be bombarded with stares and questions. Even the gods began to question his appearance since he didn't leave his realm much. He'd also have to listen to the almighty 'Zeus', King of the Gods and God of the Sky brag all day and night.

But on the plus side, he could possibly meet the god he'd kept getting mixed up with, which would help sort out a way to fix said problem. He nodded and clapped his hands together, catching the attention of his judges. "I've made my decision. Please send a message with Hermes to let Fugaku know that I will attend this celebration. For the time being, I shall go get ready. Prepare a chariot so that I may ride to the river Lethe for my departure." He gave a small wave of his hand after he stood to get off his throne, being careful not to disturb the sleeping Cerberus.

Walking back, he stood in his quarters, jewels and stones of all kinds glittering brilliantly. While being the God of the Underworld, he was respectively the God of Wealth and had as many gemstones and jewels as any god or mortal could wish for.

He strode over to his upright chest, dramatically throwing it open as he looked through his wardrobe for something to wear.

A tunic or a toga wouldn't do. He'd need something nice, relaxed and simple should he get into a small quarrel with his hot-headed brother.

Huffing, he grabbed a yukata and looked it over. The orange accents traveling through the shades of gold and cream would do him well. Some heavy jewelry and a black pair of loose pants would suit him as well. "No need to be flamboyant. I'm sure they'll be enough of that on Olympus." He laughed to himself as he laid the clothes on his bed.

A knock came at the door, resounding through his massive room, "You may enter." Naruto called out, not bothering to turn his attention to the person who entered.

"Well hello, Naruto. I heard that not only were you _requested_ on Mount Olympus, but you accepted the request as well. I had to come hear the news for myself; is it true?"

Naruto paused in his searching to turn to look at his beloved companion, Hinata, or _Persephone_, the Goddess of Spring and the daughter of Demeter and Zeus.

It was a little unknown fact that Hinata hadn't been kidnapped by Naruto and that they, in fact, were never in love. Close companions sure, but never was she forced to marry him, nor did he ever court her. In fact, she willingly came to visit him one-third of the year against Demeter's wishes, and he was quite grateful to have her as a friend. At first it was to spite her overprotective mother, but they'd grown to be endearingly close.

"It is very much true, Hinata. Since you're here, do tell me, does this look appealing?" He pointed to the yukata and pants.

"It would look quite stunning on you. I can only assume you plan to wear jewels. Are you going to leave the yukata open?"

"You would be correct. Something simple yet tasteful. I have the jewels so, why not flaunt them? It isn't like I'll be the only one doing so." Naruto smiled as he stepped out of his clothes. "Would you mind helping me get ready? Elysium forbid I be late for such a marvelous party." Naruto rolled his eyes as he walked into a smaller room connected to his quarters. He sank in the prepared water in the tub, relaxing as Hinata began to wash his shoulders.

"All will be well, Naruto. No need troubling yourself over such frivolous matters. Just enjoy yourself. I'll be seeing you there once I leave here. Although, we could leave together." Hinata smiled down at him as she poured water over his head. "Look on the bright side, you can meet all the deities I have been telling you stories about. Won't that be exciting?"

Naruto nodded as he grabbed the washcloth from Hinata, washing his nether regions. "That does sound very merry Hinata. I wonder what type of food there will be. I haven't been in so long, so there are sure to be many new deities, if Fugaku is still as promiscuous as he was. You told me about Circe, what's she like?"

Hinata shook her head as she took the cloth back and began washing his strong legs. "Now, why would I tell you that when you shall see for yourself?" She grabbed a large cloth and wrapped it around Naruto as he stood out of the water and began drying him off.

Naruto pouted, dropping the cloth and walking back to his room to get dressed, applying a wonderful-smelling oil to his skin as he stepped into his pants, throwing the yukata over his shoulders before standing in front of his vanity. "I must say, you've become quite bold since your last visit here. Has your mother finally rubbed off on you?"

"Oh, Heavens no! She's still quite shaken up by my departure. The only reason it isn't Winter right now is because I told her a small falsehood that I would be leaving for Mount Olympus early to greet everyone. Otherwise, the humans would surely be confused as to why it would be cold at the start of Summer." Hinata grabbed a blue necklace and an orange one, each heavy gem glittering as she placed it over his head, settling on his neck. She took up matching teardrop earrings and she smiled at the color match. "You look divine, my sweet. Now it is about time we leave. It would appear rude if we were to be late, especially if my dear mother gets there before I do."

Naruto quickly slipped on his sandals, placing a crown of cornflowers on his head before placing his arm around Hinata's as they left out of his room.

Sakura bowed as she saw the two of them approach the throne. "The chariot awaits you near the river Lethe. Would you like some assistance in your travels?"

"You know, I would love some. Tell Iruka and Tsunade to dress for the occasion. It would be rude of me to not consider my judges as guests fit to attend. Please forgive my callousness." Naruto kissed Sakura's hand, flashing her a wide smile.

"Not at all, Lord Naruto. I shall get going." She excused herself.

Nodding, both god and goddess continued to walk arm in arm, discussing all the things Naruto may have missed and all the gods and goddesses he may need to be aware of. He was nervous to go; after all, he usually declined his brother's offers. Today would be quite the experience.

They arrived at the river around the same time Tsunade, Sakura, and Iruka did.

"It seems we are all ready. Tsunade, have you the coins?" Naruto held out his hand as two golden coins were dropped into his palm. Nodding his thanks, he and Hinata stepped forward, a large canoe-like vessel appearing from thin air.

_Charon_, the ferryman of the rivers, bowed deeply. "It is nice to see you, Lord Naruto. For what do you bless me with your appearance?"

Naruto smiled as he let Charon up from his position. "It is quite nice to see you as well, Hidan. It seems I've had a change of heart and will be attending Fugaku's celebration this year. Please allow us safe passage across your rivers"

Hidan nodded silently as he helped each person climb into the vessel. "With great pleasure. Please remain seated for the entire duration of the ride. Many souls have been lost for being too curious." Hidan pushed off the bank with his oars, navigating through the vast river.

Naruto looked out in deep thought, watching a soul lazily drink from the river with little interest.

"Please let everything run smoothly." He mused inwardly as they rode on the gentle and lethargic body of water.

* * *

Sasuke didn't hate his father.

No; he _loathed_ him.

One would think having the mere world at your fingertips with all the gods and goddesses at your mercy would make anyone feel extreme satisfaction, but not his father.

Fugaku was a god who could rival Narcissus, always needing to be the center of attention and loving himself immensely. Not to mention his poor mother, Mikoto, who the humans referred to as _Leto_. She wasn't an innocent, but the Sun God couldn't keep count of all of the times his father had been unfaithful, and she had been one of the many victims of his charms.

No, living on Mount Olympus wasn't all it was cracked up to be; all the useless flaunting, gaudy jewels and perfumes, the ridiculous celebrations for fickle things.

It was all too much for him, hence why Sasuke was currently on his way to Mt. Parnassus to visit his lovely muses;

_Clio_, the muse of history

_Thalia_, the muse of comedy

_Erato_, the muse of love poetry

_Euterpe_, the muse of music

_Melpomene, _the muse of tragedy

_Polyhymnia_, the muse of divine poetry and mimic art

_Terpsichore_, the muse of dance

_Ourania_, the muse of astronomy

_Calliope_, the muse of epic poems and rhetoric art, the superior Muse

They were of the few things Sasuke had been grateful to his father for having created.

Once he landed safely, he got off the chariot, walking up the winding pathway and stairs, and pushed open the heavy wooden doors, looking around the enormous doorway. Hurried steps could be heard all throughout the castle-like temple as each muse scrambled to see who could be visiting at such an hour.

"Oh my, Lord Sasuke is here! Please come in, we weren't expecting to be graced with your presence so early on this glorious day!" Lee, the muse of dance, spoke first as all nine began to bow, thanking the Sun God for the day he brought upon them.

Sasuke waved his hand, releasing them from their bow. "It is nice to see you all."—he paused to gently kiss each muses' cheek, starting with Lee, then Kiba, the muse of comedy, Gaara, muse of love poetry, Ino, muse of music, Karin, muse of astronomy, Shikamaru, muse of history, Suigetsu, muse of tragedy, Sai, muse of divine poetry and mimic art, and Neji, the Superior Muse.

"I've come to alert Itachi of father's upcoming celebration today. Would he happen to be here?"

Neji nodded as he extended his arm for Sasuke to grab, "Follow me, My Lord. He's in the field listening to the lyres. It seems he has taken quite the liking to it. Such a beautiful sound, yes?"

If there was one thing Sasuke loved more than anything else, it was music. It was one of his most prized accomplishments and one that he'd been the proudest to have dominion over. "It truly is. Tell me, Neji. What is that Itachi has been up to since his leave? I don't suspect he's only been listening to music, now has he?"

"No, my Lord. He's been pretty lively in the most recent days. Practicing his archery, not that he would need any practice. But he seems to be quite peaceful. I assume Lord Fugaku has been trying to unravel Lord Itachi, but he has seemed to pick up lately."

It had been no secret that Itachi and their father didn't see eye to eye, with Itachi threatening to step down as an Olympian.

Sasuke nodded as he kissed Neji's cheek in thanks and unlocked his arm, playfully shooing him and any other muse that followed them away.

He'd always been worried about his twin brother, _Artemis_ as he was commonly referred to. God of the Hunt, animals, and wilderness. With them both being male, there was no sexism to worry about, but with Itachi's unwillingness to find a partner of sorts, Fugaku wasn't very happy. Nevertheless, Sasuke and Itachi were almost inseparable and continued to be that way.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visitation, dear brother?" Itachi smiled at him as Sasuke came to sit by his side, looking away from the scenery and tuning out the music playing.

"Father is celebrating the fall of Minato and the Titans today. He has requested your presence and quite frankly, I do as well. I'm not too sure of my ability to keep professional around Father for long; I wouldn't want the sun to set early again."

Itachi nudged Sasuke's shoulder playfully, remembering the day Sasuke got so mad, he hid the Sun behind the Moon. "Now Sasuke, I'm sure Father has gotten his habits under control"—he smiled gently at Sasuke's deadpan face. "But if it is you who has now requested my attendance, then go I shall. But I will not so much as whisper to that unfaithful fool. He's too drunk on the wonders of the world. Tsk, those poor mortal women don't stand a chance."

They heard giggles causing them to turn and see the muses huddled together behind a pillar, some with smiles, others with raised eyebrows, listening intently.

Both gods beckoned them over to which they hurriedly scrambled over.

Karin was the first to speak, eyes glittering, "A celebration? Oh, please say that we may attend! It's been so long since I've seen Gelos! I am of absolute certainty that he misses me."

"Yeah, I heard even Hades would be attending! Please Lords, we promise to be on our best behavior. Right, muses?" Ino looked around at the other muses as they nodded excitedly, turning back to Itachi and Sasuke with a hopeful expression

"Hades is going to attend?" Sasuke blinked. This would be his chance to meet this god and having his muses with him would definitely help him stay calm around his father. It'd do him no good to be reckless in front of the reclusive god. "Well I suppose it will be fine as long as none of you go wandering off with Dionysus again. Heavens knows what he'll have planned this time around."

Both brothers grunted as many of the muses jumped on them, arms and legs flying every which way. They were no strangers to the very affectionate touches and welcomed them with calm smiles and open arms. A head laid in a lap, arms laying around broad shoulders, fingers lightly caressing hair and cloth, it was the touch they'd become accustomed to.

Gaara and Neji decided to gently lay a kiss on both gods' cheeks with Shikamaru kissing their foreheads, and Sai laying light pecks on their lips.

Itachi untangled himself and stood, dusting off his red tunic before turning his attention to the hoard of bodies lying on the layers of silken sheets. He held out a hand which Sasuke took.

"Well, you mustn't go dressed in such attire. Let us get dressed, shall we? Brother, I will see you on Mount Olympus in but a few short hours. Please be gentle today. As you've heard, Hades will be appearing today, which says quite a bit. Be on your best behavior or I will not hesitate to use you as target practice." Itachi touched Sasuke's forehead with two fingers, pushing slightly as he nodded his departure.

Sasuke grimaced as he rubbed his forehead and stalked to the door; he always hated when Itachi did that.

Looking around, he boarded his chariot; he couldn't help but be amazed at the scenery. Luscious gardens of greenery and an array of perfumed flowers, animals merry and gentle, music, art, and scrolls askew were a beautiful sight to behold.

He remembered when he found the abandoned temple of worship, one of the grander ones the humans made. It had been Zeus', but Demeter's great famine had drove them out. Now, it lived merrily through the muses and now his brother, their personalities and talents making the place breathtakingly gorgeous. How he'd loved to be able to stay here, but with Itachi now taking a vacation from his godly duties on Mt. Olympus, he'd had to play it safe as to not piss off Fugaku even more. Those mortals wouldn't be spared if that were to occur.

He took one last look as he took off in his chariot, heading back to Olympus.

* * *

Mt. Olympus was lively. More lively than usual.

Horae stood at the gate in all their glory, greeting every deity with welcome, praise, and well wishes.

Naruto thought they looked divine. He smiled as they greeted him, shocking all three women running around. "It is marvelous to see you all, Horae. It has been rather a bit of time since we last spoke. For that I do give my swiftest apologies; how have you been keeping?"

All three women hugged Naruto quickly, beaming as they looked him up and down. "It's been far too long, Lord Naruto. My, look how you have grown, what a natural beauty you've always been! We surely would have come to visit you, but with us guarding the gates, we've had no time. Please excuse our absence!" They bowed quickly before standing to let another deity inside the gates. They were all starting to get dizzy with all the new faces.

"No, no. Don't apologize. I know your jobs are very special and you all have always been marvelous. Well, I shouldn't hold you all up any longer, come find me later so that we may catch up." He kissed their cheeks, leaving Hinata behind to speak with them as he dragged along Tsunade, Iruka, and Sakura. "My, there are a large sum of people here I've never met before. Would any of you happen to know of them?" Naruto received a negative and sighed. "Well, let us find Fugaku or Kakashi then. There's no sense of trying to mingle with those who know very little of me."

The group ambled around for a bit, grabbing a treat here and there, a drink or two, politely greeting some of the deities they seemed to know and those who seemed to know them before they came upon a row of 12 thrones, the center one being the biggest and containing Fugaku in his somewhat drunken stupor. He babbled to some defenseless woman, stopping her from fleeing, probably trying to find the quickest ways to her private regions.

"I see he's still promiscuous as ever." Naruto snorted as he stepped forward, waving a bit to catch Fugaku's attention. "Hello, my dear brother." —Naruto quickly shooed the woman away, seeing her frantically bow as she hurried along— "It is quite nice to see you after all these years. How has our dutiful King been doing through these trying times?"

The room went silent. Most of the deities were new and didn't know of this god who addressed their king so familiarly, as a brother at that. Those who did know that god was too perplexed to say anything; it wasn't every day _THE_ Hades came to Mt. Olympus, especially from request by Zeus.

Fugaku stood, swaying as he waltzed down the steps, dangerously close to falling. So, his brother finally decided they were worth his precious time now, huh? "Well, well, well. If it isn't my dear brother Naruto, or should I call you Hades?" He smiled at the gasps he heard and watched as the newer deities began to scoot away from Naruto. Good, they were scared. "I am surprised you showed up this year. Well," —he hiccuped— "What is it that has changed your mind?"

"Curse him," Naruto thought. "He always knows what to do to make things awkward." He put on a dazzling smile, causing some to gasp again, shocked that such a beauty could be Hades, with a smile like that. "You know how grueling it can be to run a kingdom and all, with all the work you seem to not be," Hinata nudged his side as she walked up behind him. He corrected himself with a small laugh, "you're surely doing. I figured it would be a splendid gift to show myself to one of your divine celebrations. And I must say,"—he waved an arm through the air, indicating the room they were currently in— "it is divine, indeed."

Fugaku nodded stupidly as he stammered over to Naruto, throwing his arm over the blond god's shoulders feeling him slightly tense. He smirked. "Tell me, Naruto. What have you been doing all this time? You've chosen to ignore all my former invitations, so why did you decide you would come now? Has the Underworld been that dreadful? I would not be surprised with all the souls of the dead you are around all day and night, not to mention being directly over Tartarus. Tartarus was where the Titans and Cronus had been placed when I saved you all, yes?" He hummed deep in his throat as he waited for a response, feeling Naruto tense even more.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he shook Fugaku's arm off his shoulders, turning to face him head-on. No way in Tartarus would he be disrespected by some drunken fool who can't even keep his dick in his trousers, especially after hearing him egg on that ridiculous lie about his realm, "As mentioned before, I have been busy. But now, I have a bit of time, though I'd be lying if I said that were the only reason I came. And the dead bother me not. Unlike a few gods, I stay in my palace long enough to do my job proficiently. Saved us you may have, but you'd surely have been in the same predicament as your 'poor' siblings if Kushina wasn't such a piss poor mother. What is it the mortals decided to name her? Rhea? Now, if you will excuse me brother, I'm looking for someone."

"And who would that be?"

"I am looking for the God Apollo. Surely you would know of him."

Fugaku snarled, "And what is it that you want with my son? He happens to be busy right now, so I don't think—"

"There's no need for that, Father. I am capable of handling issues myself, though I applaud your ability to form fluent sentences with your drunken state."—Sasuke turned towards Naruto with a smirk. He found it funny Fugaku had tried to play father in front of Naruto; any other time, he remembered no one but Athena. "I am Apollo; I assume you are Hades. Pleasure to finally meet the god I keep getting mistaken for." He extended the arm Neji wasn't holding towards Naruto.

Naruto shook Sasuke's hand firmly.

This couldn't be Apollo, could it? He was pale, not deathly pale, but certainly pale enough to not be mistaken for someone who spent most of his days rising and setting the sun. Dark hair and ruby-red eyes. The navy-blue tunic almost kissed the ground, the silver and red patterns dancing on the fabric only helped enhance his godly features. He was a beautiful sight, really. A very beautiful, confusing sight.

Sasuke was in the same boat. Here was the God of the Underworld and King of the Dead, and he looked like any sunny day Sasuke rose the sun for. Baby blue eyes, bronzed skin and hair of spun gold, Sasuke was sure this was some form of a joke. He was too bright to have such a…huh. Sasuke had never thought of Hades' godly duties as being depressing, but now he was even more confused as to what to think of him. He never thought working with the dead would be fulfilling, but with the way Naruto had talked about it, he may be swayed differently.

No wonder they were always mistaken for each other.

"The pleasure is all mine." Naruto bowed to which it was returned. He gestured to Neji in mirth, looking at the pale-eyed man that was watching him. "And who happens to be this fine specimen?"

Sasuke's smirk grew even wider. "Where are my manners; please forgive my absent-mindedness. When dealing with Fugaku all day, it can cause one to blank out here and there. This is the muse of epic poetry ad rhetoric art, Neji."

"Pleased to meet you, Lord Naruto." Neji bowed lowly and extended a hand, which Naruto kissed.

Fugaku was fuming.

Here he had his brother and son, and they were ignoring him! Not only were they ignoring him, they were openly insulting him. If he wasn't drunk, he probably wouldn't have made such a big scene in the first place, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. "Now that the greetings are out of the way, how about we—"

"Father, I think I'm going to show Naruto around the palace. I'm sure of your ability to keep things running smoothly?" Sasuke had sent Neji back to join the other muses as he held Naruto's warm hand as they began to walk off, not waiting for a reply.

Naruto paused, turning his head to side-eye Fugaku, "Be sure to tell Kakashi I said hello. What is it that he goes by these days?"

Fugaku gritted his teeth again, "Poseidon."

Naruto nodded and turned, walking with Sasuke hand in hand, ignoring the giggles and Fugaku's silent fuming. He smiled widely. Things may be turning out well after all.

They walked out of the main hall, choosing to follow a random hall as they walked in comfortable silence.

Sasuke was the first to break it. "I fucking despise that filthy god. I know it isn't very respectful and I should be more gracious of our king, he is a great king and god, but my father is more narcissistic than Narcissus himself. And my poor mother had to be swayed by some sleazy god who sleeps with anything with a working pulse." Sasuke ran his free hand through his hair, blowing out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, moving his hand to his neck, making sure to avoid the dangling sapphire earrings. "Please pardon my rudeness; it's just that living with that excuse of a god isn't very merry."

Naruto squeezed his hand, letting a heavy laugh float through the winding hall, not bothering to pay attention to the flamboyant decorations scattered everywhere. "You are within your rights, Apollo." He stopped walking when Sasuke did. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. You can call me Sasuke if you'd like to."

"I'd love to. In exchange you may call me Naruto; does that seem fair?"

Sasuke nodded and began dragging Naruto in what he presumed was a random direction. "Sorry for my earlier intrusion. It would please me if you would be so kind as to continue your thoughts from earlier."

"Ah, right. I understand where you're coming from in regard to Fugaku. He's always been self-centered like that. I'm not too sure where he gets it from, but it ceases to do him any good, yet he doesn't seem to realize that. A lost cause if you ask me." Naruto was startled when he heard an array of giggles and laughs.

Sasuke's lips turned upward slightly as he led Naruto into the large room, pleased with his sense of taste. Instead of the gold and clears that adorned Mt. Olympus, his room was shades of black, blues, and red, with silver and white thrown around sporadically. Very simple yet delectably tasteful. "I wanted to formally introduce you to the Muses. You've come to meet Neji, but there are eight others. I would also like to introduce you to my twin brother, Itachi. Muses, if you would please introduce yourselves."

They all stood and bowed, taking joy in introducing themselves. They were pleasantly surprised to receive a bow from Naruto in return, something most deities never do. "Any friend of Sasuke's shall be a friend of mine, I am very pleased to meet you all."

Itachi nodded to himself as he stood; he hadn't seen his brother open up to anyone like this since Hyacinth.

"Interesting."

He walked to them graciously, extending a hand towards Naruto. "Charmed to meet you, Lord Naruto. I am Itachi, God of the Hunt. I've heard much about you, but never would I have expected such a fine god to come from the Underworld. But then again, it's been proven that gods may not match their godly duties by my brother here."

"Shut it, Itachi!"

Naruto blushed lightly as he shook Itachi's hand. "Pleasure is all mine. I didn't cause any disturbance here, did I?"

Itachi shook his head, "None at all. The Muses are very loving deities. Cuddly little creatures even if some choose not to act on it."

Gaara grumbled and Sai smiled a little too wide.

Suigetsu jumped in quickly, a bit afraid as he nestled himself under Itachi's arm. "Y-You're the God of the Underworld, right? Did you bring any like…souls with you?"

Naruto smiled brightly, shaking his head as a negative. "No, I didn't. I did bring my judges, though I have no clue where they could be. Probably should have let them know I was leaving so abruptly." He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

As if on cue, Hinata walked in being trailed by a quietly fuming Sakura, a panicking Iruka, and a drunk Tsunade. Hinata sighed as she spotted Naruto, "My apologies for the interruption, but it seems Sakura couldn't control herself in the main hall."

"That man tried to grab Tsunade's bosom and I will be damned before I let anyone touch my judges. There will be a cold day in Hades before I let that happen." Sakura's fists shook in anger. "Filthy creatures I tell you."

Tsunade snorted, barely standing, "Pft, I could have handled him all on my own, you know." She swayed a bit before standing up a bit straighter. "Dionysus' alcohol has gotten better I see. I wonder why on Earth he hasn't visited the Underworld."

"That is specifically because you end up like this every time you two cross paths. Please forgive us, Lord Naruto. Sakura got a bit carried away and managed to destroy a bit of the hall. I tried to stop her but- "Iruka was silenced by Naruto's waving hand.

"It's alright, Iruka. I should have been there to stop any disturbances from happening to you all. That will be my mess to clean, but for now, why not take the liberty of introducing yourselves to our kind hosts?"

Introductions from both sides were traded, combing through the thick air with a fine-toothed comb. Hinata smiled lightly, "Hello, Sasuke, Itachi. It's so nice to see you again. I almost didn't expect you two to come here with all that has been occurring.'

Itachi moved to hug Hinata, not minding as Gaara clung to his back and Suigetsu continued to keep his place under Itachi's arm. "Well, Sasuke decided to play dirty and request my presence himself. I simply can't refuse my foolish brother. Who knows what he'd pull off this time?" Itachi dodged Sasuke's swatting hand, laughing lightly.

Sasuke grumbled as he led Naruto to sit on his large bed, scooting away from the heap of bodies scrawled around. "Like you'd like to be in darkness for a while." He laid down and pulled Naruto with him, enjoying the feel of Naruto laying on his chest. He played in the soft golden locks, avoiding the crown of flowers, as he relaxed, smiling. "On top of that, it wouldn't have been an enjoyable celebration if I didn't have my beloved brother with me."

Naruto cuddled into the touch; he wasn't used to cuddling. Hinata only came around one-third of the year, and his judges weren't too fond of being so touchy-feely. Being able to lay in someone's arms and have them treat you with such kindness felt nice.

Really nice.

The large group spent majority of the party cuddling and mingling amongst themselves. Sasuke, Karin, and Itachi momentarily took leave to switch day to night, having the group follow.

They watched in awe as Sasuke and Itachi sat on small ivory pedestals surrounded by symbols of the Sun, stars, and Moon. Karin sat by their feet as she waited patiently.

Sasuke silently closed his eyes, holding his arms out in front of him, and cupped his hands so that they seemed to hold the Sun from his perspective. Slowly, he pulled his hands apart, the Sun going into one hand as the other sprawled out, empty. Itachi did the same, although no Moon was in the sky for his hands to separate. He faced with his back to Sasuke, waiting.

Sasuke waited patiently for what seemed like hours as the Moon soon appeared in place of the Sun, and he sent the Sun the opposite way. He 'grabbed' the Moon as Itachi 'grabbed' the Sun and placed it high in the sky on the other side of the world as Itachi nodded at Karin.

Pointing at random places in the sky, lights began appearing, some burning brighter than others. Karin laid her hands in her lap as she, Sasuke, and Itachi prayed and thanked one another for their hard work.

Standing Sasuke helped Karin off the floor and they all walked back to the group. They were bombarded with hugs and squeals from the muses, even including Sakura.

"That's always so amazing! It's so seamless!" Lee beamed as he bounced on the spot, proud of the beautiful display. Sasuke still stood as his most beloved god.

"Always the treat to see such handiwork." Shikamaru bowed with all the other occupants of the room, thanking Sasuke, Karin, and Itachi for the day and night they supplied.

Naruto was in awe. He'd never seen something so beautiful before. Sure, he'd seen the transitioning of day and night from Earth and the Underworld, but never like this. It was amazing.

"Thank you. I'm glad you liked it." Sasuke smirked.

Naruto blushed, quickly hiding behind his hands. He didn't realize he had said that aloud. "You're welcome. It really is a beautiful sight to behold." He stuttered a bit, shivering as the night air hit his bare chest. "It seems like it would be best for us to leave right about now. Can't have things start running amok back at home." He turned around to the group. "It was so nice meeting you all. I hope to see you again. I really enjoyed your company!" He smiled hard enough to wrinkle the skin around his eyes as they waved to Naruto's retreating form.

Sasuke ran after Naruto, Hinata and the judges, panting lightly when he caught up. "I just wanted to personally say I enjoyed your company. I do hope to see you very, very soon." He kissed Naruto's cheek gently as he grabbed the tan hands in his own.

Hidan would have to forgive him later.

Naruto shooed the judges and Hinata off to the awaiting chariot and turned back to Sasuke, holding open his palm that held a gold coin. "Take this. If you can find your way to the Underworld safely, you'll come upon a ferryman. His name is Hidan; give him this coin and he'll safely guide you through one of the five rivers. Come and see me, and I'll hand you all the coins your heart could desire. Goodnight, Sasuke."

The raven was shocked into silence as Naruto planted a soft kiss on his lips. He quickly ran off, leaving Sasuke a waving mess. Once Naruto was out of sight, he touched his lips and smiled to himself. Fugaku be damned, he was going to leave Mt. Olympus against his wishes once again. He was going to see Naruto again. For sure.

* * *

Naruto sat in his throne sulking. Sasuke hadn't come to see him yet and it had almost been a month. That worried him quite a bit, slightly deterring him from his job.

What if he misunderstood? What if Sasuke hadn't actually found interest in him? What if Sasuke wasn't too keen on visiting Naruto after that kiss? Had he read the room wrong?

Naruto was internally panicking, not noticing how the lava lazily trailing through cracks in the ground grew and glowed with his emotions nor how Cerberus whimpered at his master's attitude. He was depressed; very depressed.

Iruka looked on kindly at Naruto as he approached his throne. His god could be so dramatic sometimes. "My Lord, you have a visitor who wishes to see you directly."

Naruto whined leaning back in his chair as he huffed in annoyance. "What for?"

"They say they want to speak with you. Something about asking for your approval."

"Tell them to leave. I accept no sacrifices and I will hear no pleas. If they wish to be heard, they can take it up with Zeus. I shall not pity those who wish to come to my realm seeking an easy way out. They may leave safely this once and not return unless they are dead upon arrival." He sucked his teeth in anger. How many times did he have to warn those simple mortals that he wasn't some kiss-ass god who was so willing to bow at mortal's feet over foolish words and wishes?

"But my Lord, he came bearing a coin and gifts to present you. Surely you will see him, right? He seemed to be adamant to see you; he even addressed you by first name." Iruka paused as he waited for Naruto's reply. He knew not to push too hard when Naruto was upset.

Naruto shot up in his seat. If this person had come bearing a coin and wasn't immediately sent to the Judges for deliberation…could it be? Surely no one since Orpheus had been able to pass through his realm safely. Right? "Send him in, Iruka. Thank you."

Iruka bowed deeply as he quickly walked out of the room through the wide entrance.

Naruto practically bounced in his seat as he waited. It couldn't be Sasuke, could it? Surely, he would have contacted him through Hermes had he not been able to come. He tried not get his hopes up, but couldn't help himself, thinking about spending more time with the god he intended to court. That, however, did not subside the anger he was feeling for being kept waiting so long, if it were Sasuke.

Keeping with the program, Sasuke waltzed through the door in all his glory, efficiently pissing Naruto off even more and secretly making him gleeful.

The blond god sat up in his chair, looking down his nose into ruby eyes. "What is that you have come here for?" He wasn't going to let up until Sasuke either explained himself or walked up to the throne and swept Naruto off his feet, and Naruto knew he wouldn't do the latter.

The dark-haired god bent at the knee as he bowed his head, holding the basket out in front of him. "I've come to see the one I intend to court. I apologize that it took me so long to come here to see you. I hope you found my message to be well detailed."

That knocked the wind right out of him. "Intend to court? So, he wants to court me? He is interested in me." Naruto was over the moon happy before he caught onto the last part of what Sasuke said. "What message?"

"The message I sent with Hermes…. don't tell me that fucking bastard didn't deliver it." Sasuke sighed; he was going to strangle his brother later, but for now, he chose to clear things up. "I wanted to see you right away, but I feared I wouldn't be able to spend much time with you. I decided to wait until the Summer Solstice, when the day is longer than the night so that we could be together for longer. I hope I haven't caused you any trouble. I deeply apologize for the misunderstanding; I'll have a talk with Hermes later on tonight. But before that," –Sasuke trembled slightly— "Will allow me, Sasuke, God of the Sun, amongst other things, to stand by your side as your intended, Naruto, God of the Underworld and Riches and King of the Dead?"

Sasuke kept his position, holding out the basket, letting out the air he was holding as he felt Naruto take it from his outstretched hand.

Naruto titled Sasuke's head up a bit, smiling down at him in excitement, all traces of anger melting away. He first placed a kiss on a cool forehead before gently brushing their lips together. As quick as the kiss came, as quick as it had left.

"We will have to officiate things at a later date, but for now, I accept you fully as my beloved. You may rise, my dear." Naruto stood back as Sasuke rose. They'd definitely have to finish the courting the correct way, but right now all Naruto wanted to do was feel Sasuke against him.

He hugged him tightly, breathing in that lovely scent he remembered all too well as he giggled and gaily grabbed the basket of goodies and Sasuke's hand, taking off to his chambers.

Iruka chuckled to himself. "So dramatic."

Upon entering the room, he pushed Sasuke onto his large bed, carefully setting down the basket before jumping in to lay next to Sasuke. Naruto snuggled close, humming happily as he felt strong arms come to squeeze around his larger frame. "I've missed so much since we last saw one another. I was worried you hadn't taken interest in me and that the kiss had been but a mere mistake. I'm glad to know it wasn't."

Naruto went to straddle Sasuke's hips as he placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and pulled him up. "Why not go about showing just how much you missed me? We can't copulate until the after the official ritual, but we can surely spend more of our 'time' together." Naruto purred in a pale ear, feeling the other male shiver underneath him. His body was shaking in anticipation of what would come next.

"Well if you insist, my love."

And like that, they started to explore one another, starting off with a gentle kiss.

A lock of lips, a playful nip here and there, sweet baby's breath mingling loosely in the air, holding the pair in a vice grip. All so innocent and sweet, but not for long. It soon turned needy. Spit and heated pants replaced giggles. Kisses so sinful yet deliciously sweet. Intoxicating; getting them drunk in ecstasy. Far long from their previous position, Naruto laid on his back as Sasuke laid soft kisses along his neck.

He jumped as Sasuke bit him. "What was that for?!"

The pale man smirked, "This is to show my claim until we are officiated. Until then, no one may have you but me and the same will go for me." He bit another place, fully aware of the twitching erection pressed again his inner thigh. Any other time, it would have made Sasuke thankful that the man underneath him decided to wear a toga, but not now.

Now it made him frustrated. To have something so enticing melting under him and not being able to cover that gorgeous face and those rippling abs with his essence made him painfully hard. He grinded down into Naruto, re-positioning his hips for better aim, and letting his breath come along in short spurts as he continued to rock against Naruto's erection with his own.

Naruto wasn't doing any better; how could he? Sasuke was sexier than Adonis and the sensations he was causing him to feel shot electricity up and down his spine. Naruto hadn't been too knowledgeable about these types of affairs.

This had his skin on fire. It tingled and singed under every touch, his body shaking. "If I had known it would be this good, I would have tried this a long time ago." Naruto's brain was a flurry of thoughts, ramming themselves against the inner cages of his mind.

He put tan hands in dark hair, pulling Sasuke into yet another kiss. Those moans coming from the Sun God should be considered taboo; they were much too wicked, and Naruto loved every second of it.

Sounds slipped from both pair of lips, some into the atmosphere of the room, some into the other's mouth. The feelings, the physical touches, the pure need dripping off one another would be enough to make even Fugaku blush.

Heat ran rampant through the room; growing and shrinking, growing and shivering. The Underworld God knew they should stop, had to stop, but it felt too heavenly. Leaving red marks down Sasuke's back, hearing the man above him struggle to breath, to hold in those almost high-pitched moans; it was unraveling his mind and if he didn't stop soon, they'd be crossing a boundary they shouldn't cross yet. Not that Naruto would mind too much.

Taking his hands out of Sasuke's hair and lightly putting them on his chest, Naruto pushed, breaking the kiss. "We have to stop. I don't know exactly how much resolve I have left, and I don't want to cross that boundary yet." He was panting hard, making the words come out very shallow. "For now, let us relax. You brought a basket, yes?"

"Good Naruto! Change the subject." He mentally patted himself on the back.

Sasuke nodded, leaving one last kiss on Naruto's slowly reddening lips. He sat up, grabbing the basket from the side of the bed while also trying to force himself to calm down. He placed it between them and took the small cloth off, "They're gifts from Olympus. It's not all from there but a bit of it is. I figured you would like to see some of the things I have back at home."

Inside sat two bottles, an array of food, beautiful jewels, and some boards with strings attached.

Naruto looked into the basket, intrigued. He'd never seen these things before, besides the food and bottles. Though he wasn't sure what was in them. "What are these?" He looked up at Sasuke, his head tilting slightly.

Sasuke picked up a bottle first, popping the cork in the top before holding the open bottle under Naruto's nose. "This is from Dionysus." –he snorted as Naruto backed away from the bottle slightly— "Worry not; I tasted this myself. It's pretty harmless as far as his alcohol can go. That one however," –he pointed at the other bottle still in the basket— "is for Tsunade. He said she might enjoy it."

Naruto eyed the bottle before taking a small sip and humming contently. "This is really good! What did he use this time?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it leaves the body feeling relaxed and peaceful, like a river. There might be ambrosia in it."

Naruto nodded as he took another sip and savored the amazing tasting liquid. It was really good. He'd keep watch for any weird side effects, though.

Picking up one of the stringed boards shaped like a 'U', he plucked a few strings watching as Naruto's eyes seemed to sparkle. "This," –he plucked a few more strings creating an angelic lilting sound, high-pitched in nature— "is a lyre; an instrument which makes music. A creation of Hermes. In exchange for stealing my cattle, he gave me this. I've found it to be extraordinarily beautiful when played well."

Sasuke played a short song, fingers gently pulling at strings, smiling to himself as Naruto clasped his hands together, much like the Grecian women would do. It was cute.

Setting it down, pale fingers grabbed the other instrument, this one having a full round body with a short and curved neck. Placing it in his lap, he played the instrument, releasing deeper notes than the lyre. "This is a lute; my creation. Fuller sound, don't you think? Although it can sound a bit whiny at times. I personally prefer the lyre, but don't go telling Hermes that."

Naruto nodded excitedly. How he had never heard of these things was beyond him. Maybe spending all of his time in the Underworld had closed him off more than he'd like to admit. He laid on his stomach, legs swinging behind him as he listened, chin in his hands. "Please play more for me. It really is a lovely sound."

They stayed like that for a while; Sasuke switching between instruments, sometimes teaching Naruto how to play a few strings here and there. They fed each other in that comfortable atmosphere, neither wanting to break it. And they didn't for a while. Not until it was time for the sun to set and Sasuke had to leave.

They stood at Lethe together holding hands and sharing sweet kisses as Hidan waited patiently. Pulling apart, Naruto shoved a rather large pouch into Sasuke's hand. "I did say I would give you more coins if you were to come to me. I expect all messages to reach me. Hermes will have to face my wrath if they don't." He leaned up to whisper in Sasuke's ear. "Soon enough, our courting will be finalized, and you'll get you way with me. Until then, I will wait diligently." He licked the earlobe and leaned back down; grin as wide as the Cheshire Cat.

Sasuke took a last breathtaking kiss from Naruto as he boarded the vessel, waving to Naruto's retreating form as he sailed on the river.

Naruto practically skipped back to his room, giddy as he laid on his bed, plucking a few of the strings of the lyre, breathing in the scent left behind; Sasuke's scent.

* * *

They'd seen each other many times since their initial date.

It was nearing fall, meaning Hinata would be coming to Hades in a few months, giving the couple some time to enjoy each other's presence. They had completed the more vigorous parts of their courting a few weeks ago and were basking in the joy of being together.

Sasuke had come clean about Hyacinth and Naruto took it surprisingly well. Listening to Sasuke's deep devotion to his deceased lover made Naruto happy. To be coupled with such a devoted god was a blessing, truly.

He picked hyacinths for Sasuke all of the time, watching the always sorrowful yet loving expression cross his face, "I won't replace Hyacinth, nor will I attempt to do so. However, I will ask for you to allow me to fill the space in your chest that he left."

Every time Sasuke saw a hyacinth from that day forward, his face showed nothing but happiness and gratitude, silently thanking his fallen lover for the blessing he was sure he received.

They went to a large number of places, but Earth was Naruto's favorite. He'd only been a handful of times, always wearing his helmet of invisibility and always rushing so none would accidentally discover him. Being able to do so without the rushing and helmet felt amazing.

The couple walked hand in hand late in the night as not to alert the humans of their presence. It was quiet and peaceful, small homes scattered about the sleeping village. Sasuke pointed out small things; the livestock, arrangements of houses, where the mortals bathed, what they made clothes out of, where they sometimes shared meals, etc.

Naruto was in awe. Being with Sasuke had given him the courage to come out his realm and explore the realm of mortals, albeit at night. It was safer that way anyways. He couldn't be more thankful to share something so magnificent, so beautiful, with someone he cared for so deeply. He was happy to be able to explore more; no need to worry about frightening mortals if they were all sleeping. He was having the time of his life.

They continued walking through the village before climbing a small hill, deciding to visit one of their shared temples.

It wasn't uncommon for gods who associated with the underworld (no matter how little the significance) to share a temple. That's why neither Naruto nor Sasuke were surprised to see a statue of Hermes as well as a few others. All made of simple stone, some larger than others, and some currently adorning jewels and robes, some nothing at all. Their statues were next to each other, although with the wrong name etched in the stone.

Sasuke touched his stone, running his fingers over the word 'Hades'. "Do you think we should change them around?"

Naruto shook his head as he touched his own statue, marveling at how accurate it was, "No need. It would seem out of place if they were to see the stones switched. That would either lead to some poor soul being sent my way too soon for being accused of tampering or our nature being found to be real." He locked eyes with Sasuke, grabbing the smiling god's empty hands. "I also see no qualms with being associated with you. Do you?"

"None at all." Sasuke leaned down to kiss Naruto, parting only when they heard a rustle and footsteps. Panicking, they ducked behind the statues, listening with bated breath.

A young girl appeared, carrying jewels and flowers in her hand as she walked up to the statues of Hades and Apollo, bowing quickly before standing straight up. Placing a deep purple necklace around Apollo's neck, she got down her knees and prayed.

"Thank you, God Apollo, for the day and all the nice things you bring." Being so small, she knew not how to properly pray but she tried her best. "Please continue making it very peaceful here. I love my village very much and I want it to stay that way. The Sun is really warm and helps things grow too. It makes my eyes hurt when I try to look at it, but I think it's really pretty anyways. Thank you." She placed another necklace of blue and clear around the stone's neck, placing the purple, curled flowers at his feet before moving to Hades.

She got on her knees once again clasping her hands together. Naruto and Sasuke heard sniffles as she trembled and cried, frantically trying to wipe her tears away. Reaching up, she placed a gold necklace around Hades' neck. "Thank you, God Hades for all your hard work keeping all the families safe. Mama said Papa wouldn't be coming back anymore. I miss him a lot. He used to carry me around on his shoulders all the time, and I could almost see the tops of the houses. He was really tall. Can you make sure Papa goes to Elysium safely? That's where Mama said he was going anyways. I just wanted to make sure he got there okay. Also, can you tell him I love him very much? He was a good Papa." Her teary eyes lit up as she recalled a story. "Oh! He would..."

She continued on, rambling out story after story about her father, some funny, some sad, some heroic, and some heartwarming. The gods both listened intently, as if she was speaking directly to them, which in a way she was.

Shortly after finishing her stories, she stood as she heard her name be called. Quickly placing a necklace of red around Hades' stone neck, she bowed again before running out of the temple to her awaiting mother.

The two gods moved from their hiding spots, moving to their respective statues, regardless of the names etched. Sasuke was first to touch the jewelry and flowers, accepting her thanks as he silently blessed her.

Naruto, on the other hand, was having a hard time. He never accepted blessings or praises, but with a child so innocent, it was hard for him not to.

Sasuke broke him from his musings as he touched a clothed shoulder. "Accept it. You may not be able to ensure her father's travels are to Elysium, but you can ensure his travels are safe to wherever he ends up."

Naruto nodded as he kissed the red and gold necklaces, accepting the girl's wishes. He felt his body simmer a bit, adding a bit of a glow to his skin. He touched his arm in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Helping those that are more innocent than not and those of their own driving conviction works very well in our favor." Sasuke extended his own arm, showing the same glow, though whiter in color compared to Naruto's golden aura. He stood and held his hand out, waiting patiently for Naruto to grab it to which he did. "Let us head back. As much I would love to keep you here with me for longer, you have a father to attend to."

Naruto nodded as he stood, glancing back at the statues, smiling to himself. He looked at the hand intertwined with Sasuke's and felt merry. Okay; maybe being mixed up another god wasn't so bad after all. He leaned his head on Sasuke's arm, content.

* * *

It was the day before winter would arrive; the day before Hinata would stay in Naruto's realm for three months. Naruto was more nervous than ever, but not because of Hinata. No; it was something that would happen today.

Today they would go through the last step of their courting; copulation, or in more vulgar words, sex.

It almost made Naruto sweat.

He paced his room, dressed in a gorgeous sheer, white robe, the garment trailing behind him like a small child. He wore nothing underneath as it wasn't uncommon for deities to walk around stark-naked unless asked to do otherwise. His body smelled of hyacinths and vanilla, glistening when the burning candles' flames lit his oiled body. His wrists and ankles were nestled with gold and all other sorts of jewels. His neck and head had the same treatment, glittering and glinting as he continued to pace.

Why he was so nervous; he wasn't sure, but it irked him a bit. Why would he, a god, be so nervous? He was a powerful being after all! A god the mortals feared and prayed to; an Olympian at that! He puffed out his chest with confidence; fear, he would not! He was going to make this the best night Sasuke would ever have.

There came a knock at his door. "You may enter." He grinned; chest still puffed out. He was a god, damn it!

Iruka popped his head in, smiling as he saw the trepidation on Naruto's face, shining straight through the grin the blond displayed. "Lord Sasuke is here for you. He awaits by the throne. Shall I send him in?"

Naruto shook his head. "I'll do so myself. Be sure to place the oil by my throne. Thank you Iruka." He stomped out after Iruka, all that confidence slowly melting back into fear and nerves as he approached his throne taking a seat. He cleared his throat as he sat up, catching Sasuke's attention.

"I see you are here, Sasuke. You may proceed with your request." He still had to be professional about this, no need to break taboo no matter how shot his nerves were.

Sasuke kneeled, causing the robe of blood red, similar fabric to Naruto's, to pool around his crouching form. He'd waited so long for this day; to be able to finally make Naruto fully his. He felt his insides turn and convulse as he spoke, "I've come to complete our courting, Naruto. Will you accept me to fully be yours?" Sasuke looked up into nervous eyes, smirking at the slow nod he got in return.

"Stand and come to me, Sasuke." Naruto was a trembling mess; what was he supposed to do again? Something about blessing Sasuke? Too caught up in his inner turmoil, he couldn't stop himself from jumping a bit as Sasuke kneeled at his feet.

"You have to bless me, Naruto. That way you will have officially marked me, and I can visit whenever I please. Do you still remember how to do that?" Sasuke smirked up at Naruto from his kneeling position.

Naruto blushed a brilliant red as he hastily grabbed the bowl of rose oil infused with cinnamon from his left side, dipping two fingers into the liquid. He took them, silently holding them up to his lips, mumbling a few words before pressing them to Sasuke's forehead. He first drew a 'u' drawing a line down from of the bottom of the letter and striking through it before dotting the center of the 'u'.

Oil trailed down a pale face, sliding down onto pink lips. Sasuke lapped at the streaks of oil on his lips; "Aphrodite's concoction, huh?" Once no more came, he stood and extended a hand to Naruto. "Now we can proceed." His smirk widened as he led Naruto down the ebony stairs and back to his room.

Closing the heavy doors behind him, Sasuke walked Naruto over to the bed, stripping them both completely before helping Naruto lay back. He could feel Naruto's body quivering under his touch; so, he was nervous.

"What do I do? What do I do?!" Naruto was panicking inside his mind. He had no idea of what to do, what would come next, anything. He was shaking, he could tell, but he tried his best to hold it in. He felt the bed dip as Sasuke climbed in, hovering over him; he placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders. "W-Wait please. I'm sure you may have noticed my shaking. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do here. I don't want to mess something up and no-!" He was silenced with a kiss.

Sasuke stared at him, unblinking. "Do you wish to do this with me?"

Naruto nodded.

"Then I can promise you that all will go well. I will admit, it will be a bit painful for you, but that will subside. Will you trust my words, love?"

Naruto nodded again.

"Then first, you have to stop shaking." Sasuke kissed Naruto's cheeks, eyes, nose, and lips willing his soon to be lover to relax. He kissed down his neck, moving the jewels around. Sasuke paused in places to suck lightly, leaving behind small red marks. The moans he earned did nothing more than fuel his fire, moving lower to suck at a tan collarbone, nipping lightly before licking down to perk nipples. Whatever oil Naruto was wearing was setting Sasuke's skin ablaze. It was sweet, yet musky, and highly addictive.

Chest rising and falling, Naruto felt amazing all over so far. Having Sasuke kiss and lick places he'd never been touched before, currently giving a soft bite to one of his nipples had pleasure shooting through him like poison. Still not knowing what to do, he clenched at the sheets underneath him, basking in the moment. Sasuke seemed to know what he was doing and that helped him relax even more, although it left him a bit embarrassed.

Another moan left his lips, one after another as Sasuke continued downward currently licking around his abs. He bit him, never too hard but in no way softly either. He looked up at Naruto, muttering against his skin, "You can touch me. You're allowed to move, you know. Try putting your hands in my hair to start off."

If Naruto wasn't already blushing, he was now as he released the sheets and touched Sasuke's hair. "It's really soft." His voice was unsure, but he spoke through the pants anyways.

Sasuke nodded as he kissed lower reaching tan hips, sucking here and there. He kissed around Naruto's erection for a minute or two, drawing out their foreplay as long as he could without frustrating Naruto. He kissed the inside of Naruto's thigh, biting hard to catch Naruto's attention. "Where's the oil you put on? Do you have the bowl anywhere around here?"

Naruto shook his head, "What are we going to need that for? I'm already covered in it."

"It'll hurt if we don't have it." Sasuke about to get up but Naruto stopped him.

"I got it." He took in a breath, "Iruka! Please bring me the oil from my throne please!" Naruto smiled to himself as he laid his upper body back down and waited.

Iruka knocked as he set the bowl on the floor outside the door. "I set it on the floor outside the door." He quickly walked off, not wanting to see who would answer the door and what stage of their love making they had stopped at; he shivered as he went to join the other judges.

Sasuke got up and inched the door open, grabbing the bowl off the floor before closing the door again. Walking back to the bed and climbing in, he nestled back in between Naruto's legs, spreading them apart even further. "Ready?"

Naruto nodded then answered audibly once he realized Sasuke wouldn't be able to see him nod since he wasn't looking up. He was just staring at Naruto's erection and it made him fidget and close his legs a little. "What is it? Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. You just look really good from my perspective." Without any warning, he poured the lukewarm liquid over Naruto's erection, watching it slide down around his balls and ass. He took the erection in his hand, sliding it up and down with ease. Sasuke pushed Naruto's legs open again, allowing the oil to drip down his entrance. Continuing to stroke the cock in his hand, he licked the tip lightly.

Naruto was back to a moaning mess. Everything felt good, amazing even. His eyes closed of their own accord as Sasuke's hand picked up the pace, spreading oil and pre-cum all over his dick; he thrusted upward to match Sasuke's pumps, desperately trying to hold on to this feeling. He heard Sasuke speak words to him, but he couldn't really put them together in his hazy mind. Nope, everything was fine. Until he felt something slowly slide in his ass then things were definitely not alright. "What are you doing? What's that?" He stuttered a bit, still finding it hard to breathe.

"I said I was prepping you. Didn't you hear me earlier? It's going to hurt a bit, but the oil will help." Sasuke continued pushing his finger in, stroking Naruto's erection a bit faster to take his mind away from the discomfort. Seeing as Naruto was panting a little harder, he'd say it was working.

"P-Prepare me for what?"

Sasuke wiggled his finger around a bit, attempting to spread Naruto open a little with one finger, failing miserably. He kissed the side of Naruto's dick, licking afterwards. "So, you can take me. It'll hurt a lot less; trust me." He licked his way to the swollen tip, sucking at it lightly. Hips bucked up abruptly, choking him and making his eyes water.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to!" Naruto cringed inwardly. That was the fuck up he was worried about earlier. He was still worried even when Sasuke shook his head and went back to his former position.

"Just try to control your hips if you can. If you can't just pull my hair." Sasuke placed his mouth back on the tip of Naruto's dick and sucked, a bit softer this time. He sucked at the tip a bit more before sliding down a bit more. He moved the finger that was still inserted in Naruto back, pushing in another finger slowly. He stilled his mouth and fingers when Naruto hissed, waiting for him adjust to the size difference. Once Sasuke felt enough time had passed, he continued pushing his fingers deeper, resuming his attention he gave Naruto's dick.

The hands in his hair pulled him back a bit; far enough not to choke him as Naruto thrusted up weakly. "Well at least he's being more thoughtful." Sasuke thought to himself as he took more of Naruto's length into his mouth, feeling the tip get closer to the back of his throat. His fingers worked alongside his mouth as they worked to stretch out the tight passage, trying his best to spread his fingers apart. Naruto was falling apart under him and he found he liked it better that way.

He spread his fingers apart more as Naruto's entrance loosened up a bit. Sasuke pulled his fingers back once again, putting one more finger against the first two and began pushing all three in, making sure to tongue the slit of Naruto's dick for extra distraction. He stilled when he heard Naruto curse, looking up as Naruto squinted down at him.

"K-Keep going; you said it would get better, right? Just keep g-going." Naruto hissed out, his entrance tightening around Sasuke's fingers, forcing them to push together.

Sasuke pulled his fingers apart as he closed his eyes, opening his mouth just a bit to let some of the excess saliva in his mouth dribble out, meandering down Naruto's erection to his balls just like the oil. He closed his mouth as he began sucking again, continuing to spread his fingers apart, feeling up Naruto's walls. Aimlessly wandering, Sasuke was caught by surprise when Naruto let out a moan that scratched the back of his mouth, sinful enough to make the furies shiver in want.

Blue, half-lidded eyes stared at the ceiling, their owner nearly spent with pleasure. "Do that again."

Sasuke moved his fingers again, feeling something slightly different in texture; he rubbed a bit harder noticing Naruto's increased volume as he toyed with it. Sasuke played with it as he tried to remember it was somewhere off to the right. He spread his fingers out a bit more before taking them all out completely, placing both hands on the back of Naruto's strong thighs.

Now he could focus more on a fully pleasurable aspect of their love making. Sasuke sucked a little harder, daring to make Naruto cum as he bobbed his head up and down.

Naruto's stomach was tightening, his muscles were tightening, breathing became ridiculously hard, his hands nearly yanked Sasuke's hair off at the roots. He was unraveling fast and he didn't know what to make of it. "Sasuke, I-I don't know what's happening. Please-!"

Sasuke knew exactly where Naruto was and helped him reach it. His head bobbed faster, sucking harder to match as he pushed Naruto's legs open more, having them practically parallel to the bed. Naruto came hard, the moans got stuck his throat, legs shaking as he gave Sasuke everything he had.

Sasuke was all too ready to swallow all the cum in his mouth, pulling back once there was nothing left to swallow. He crawled up Naruto's body, kissing him and letting him taste himself.

Naruto was losing breath quick and pushed Sasuke back so he could breathe. They stared into each other's eyes, smiling as they shared little kisses and waited for Naruto to come down from his high.

"Let me know when you're ready." Sasuke kissed his lips gently.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I'm not fragile, Sasuke. You said I'd be okay and I'm trusting that, so you can relax too. It's not like I'm going to break."

Sasuke nodded and grabbed Naruto's dick, stroking it lazily to help Naruto get hard again. "Ignorance is bliss they say. Although your ignorance may just be stupidity in disguise."

Naruto squinted up at Sasuke, placing his hands behind his knees, pulling them as far up as he could without too much serious stretching, "Go ahead, you ass." He gritted his teeth when he left the head of Sasuke's dick push into his entrance, stretching him wider than Sasuke's fingers did. It hurt like hell, but he powered through as he breathed through his nose to force his body to relax; he couldn't stop himself from scooting away from Sasuke, but still he kept telling Sasuke to go.

"Is it all in?" Naruto asked weakly, pain running from his ass up his back; shit, it really hurt and even though he could feel himself getting adjusted little by little, it still hurt like shit. He felt Sasuke's nod as pale arms shook a little. "M-Move."

Sasuke wasted no time as he slowly pulled his dick out of the blonde's tight ass, thrusting back in and keeping a slow pace for Naruto to keep up with.

Their love making was innocent, pure, and filled with love. No words were shared. All that could be heard were the moans and grunts leaving each person, the sound of Sasuke thrusting in and out of Naruto, and the flickering candles.

Love; not just Agape but Eros too. The two mixed well to create the perfect atmosphere. Aphrodite would be proud of them.

Naruto scratched at Sasuke's back as Sasuke's thrusts picked up in speed. It felt so good; his toes were curling, his ass barely allowing Sasuke to pull out with how tight it was. His eyes closed again when Sasuke shifted to the right, hitting that spot from earlier. "Right there! I-I want it h-harder, do it harder."

Who was Sasuke to deny his lover what he asked for so desperately; how could he not comply? Agape be damned, this was complete Eros; needy, hungry, wanting, willing to take and take and take even after there was nothing left to give. Selfish in its' rights and not ashamed at all.

He sat up and put Naruto's legs over his shoulder, thrusting fast and hard. It was addicting and Sasuke wanted more and he wanted it now. Fast.

Naruto was in high heaven by now; Sasuke was completely into their fucking now. No more sweet touches, no. Sasuke was like a beast over him and he'd just been captured and being wrung for every inch of his life.

Naruto gripped his sheets hard, eyes opening and closing every now and again when Sasuke happened to hit the same spot from earlier. His throat was hoarse from all the moaning he was doing; not that he cared. His dick jumped with every thrust, Sasuke's dick giving his walls a thorough workout as they worked against the dick stretching them out. They wouldn't let Sasuke go, pulling him back with every pull.

Sasuke's head was lolled back in ecstasy; every part of him felt like it was on fire. His dick was being sucked in by Naruto's ass and it felt unfathomably good. His chest rose and fell fast, breath leaving him fast as he continued his harsh treatment. He could feel that he was close; he had to get Naruto there first. If he came now, he'd be too tired to finish Naruto off.

He pushed forward, quickly going for missionary as he put weight into his thrusts, skin hitting skin very audibly. Sasuke concentrated hard as sweat rolled down his face, watching Naruto arch up against his chest as he was fucked impossibly hard. It stole sounds from Naruto, his voice weak with so much abuse to his vocal cords.

Sasuke leaned down on one elbow and used the other hand to grab Naruto's dick and stroked, his movements out of sync as he worked quickly to make Naruto cum. He himself was tipping over the edge fast. "Fuck, Naruto. C-Cum. Give it to me"

The almost begging aura rolling off of Sasuke, his drawn-out moans and whimpers from the immense pleasure, the erratic jerking of his hand and the hard thrusts had Naruto complying before he got the chance to answer.

This orgasm was much stronger, having Naruto arch off the bed much more as he did nothing more than twist around, cum coming out in weak spurts that landed on his stomach and Sasuke's hand. It was amazing, it even hurt a bit with how powerful his orgasm was, but he gave not one fuck as his body continued jerking.

Sasuke followed after, giving a few jerky thrusts as he came inside Naruto, a broken sob-like moan rolling off his tongue before he collapsed forward, catching himself on his hands. Their breath mixed as they struggled to get their breathing under control.

Naruto put a hand in Sasuke's hair and pushed it down so he could kiss him. It was long; tongue and spit were traded, in no way helping them catch their breath. Sasuke was first to pull back, smiling at Naruto. "Did you like it?"

Naruto blushed and nodded. He felt Sasuke pull out and lay down beside him, pulling him close as he relaxed. "So…what do we do now?"

"For now."—Sasuke pulled the sheets over them, closing his eyes as he felt Naruto get comfortable against his side— "we rest. Anything of importance can wait until we wake." He yawned. "With Winter approaching, the days will be shorter, so I'll be able to see you more. It may be a bit awkward with Hinata around, but we can sort that out later." He drifted off to sleep, the last words of his sentence barely leaving his lips before he passed out. "I love you."

Naruto nodded as he laid his head on Sasuke's chest listening to his heartbeat. Sasuke's heartbeat; that was the thing Naruto fell asleep to, satisfied and happy. "I love you too."

Happy to not be alone, happy to be with someone who loved him as much he loved them, happy to have someone to call his own.

Truly happy.


End file.
